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Topoisomerase posted:These will last forever so they're worth the slightly increased cost IMO
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# ? Oct 23, 2014 15:09 |
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# ? Apr 29, 2024 16:20 |
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Crumps Brother posted:I love the look of these things, but after having them for my dogs I've started to doubt their usefulness. One of my dogs got loose while I was on a run through a local reserve. I spent forever running through all the soft trails calling her name, but I just couldn't find her. Lucky for me she had actually ran right back to the car and was waiting for me there. She had spent the last 30 minutes or so having all sorts of fun with a group of people hanging around the parking lot. Everyone saw she had a collar, but not one person noticed the tag on the collar. What use is a tag if no one knows it's there? People probably assumed the dog belonged to another person in the area, or aren't dog people and didn't want to risk getting bitten or something. Or might be from the middle of nowhere where dogs running loose = no big deal/every day. As someone who has many times caught a loose dog only to find they *didn't* have tags... tags are super useful. Don't let one group of stupid people sway your opinion.
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# ? Oct 23, 2014 20:14 |
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cryingscarf posted:People probably assumed the dog belonged to another person in the area, or aren't dog people and didn't want to risk getting bitten or something. Or might be from the middle of nowhere where dogs running loose = no big deal/every day.
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# ? Oct 23, 2014 20:24 |
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Crumps Brother posted:I wasn't specific enough in my post. I meant that the Collartags are maybe a little too hidden for my liking. I think if I were to do it again I'd get dangly tags for all my critters instead of the Collartags. I'd still go with Boomerang Tags because their quality is top notch. Too many of my friends let their pets go without tags and it really bugs me. Oooh! Understood. Yeah, I like hang tags with very obvious lettering the best. That way if there is a person who is timid around dogs(or if the dog is injured/scared and snappy), they don't have to get *as* up close and personal with the dog to see the name or number.
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# ? Oct 23, 2014 20:35 |
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samizdat posted:I'm not sure if this is the right place to post, but I just lost my cat. I've had her for 17 years, and I don't know what I'm supposed to do now. She died suddenly and I wasn't expecting this for a few more years. My house is full of reminders that I had a cat up until several hours ago and I'll never kiss her ears again. I'm sorry for your loss I don't know what to tell you man. I haven't lost a cat yet. Personally I would probably make a pot of comfort food and buy my favorite beer and just cry into my food for a few days.
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# ? Oct 24, 2014 16:43 |
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Yo, anyone got good suggestions for an insulated dog jacket/coat? If I want to take my dog backpacking in the fall I think I need to get her something for sleeping in...Ruffwear has an insulated jacket but I'm not sure it covers enough. Hurtta makes a bunch of stuff but I can't really tell if it's insulated and seems to mainly be for wearing while active. D-Fa makes a big insulated jacket that looks pretty decent except for price... She doesn't really need something for during the day since it doesn't get balls cold here but something insulated at night to sleep in is what I'm looking for
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# ? Oct 24, 2014 18:17 |
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Some of Hurrta's items are insulated, it just depends on which you chose. If it's just for sleeping, something like this might suit your needs well: http://www.hurtta.com/EN/Products/Warm%20clothing/Microfleece%20jumpsuit/
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# ? Oct 24, 2014 21:37 |
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cryingscarf posted:Oooh! Understood. Yeah, I like hang tags with very obvious lettering the best. That way if there is a person who is timid around dogs(or if the dog is injured/scared and snappy), they don't have to get *as* up close and personal with the dog to see the name or number. I'm not able to read a hang tag either without getting real up close and personal with a dog tbh. They move around too much!
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# ? Oct 25, 2014 07:48 |
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I debated making a "what type of pet I should get" thread because I felt that plenty of people want pets but don't know what is appropriate to their situation? But then I saw this. So I want a companion preferably a mammal or avian. I want the pet to reciprocate affection. I'm a student but graduating in May. I would want a small dog but because I am unsure of the type of job I will have so it seems irresponsible to make that decision now. Affection giving is probably the only requirement. Mild intelligence is cool.
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# ? Oct 28, 2014 15:58 |
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It really depends. A lot of people aren't cat people until they live with cats. They are independent but also very affectionate. It's different than a dog though. I've never had a dog, but I do have cats. They're great. They come to the door when I get home, they cuddle on the couch or in bed, but they don't need me ALL THE TIME. I don't have to walk them, and they have a lot of personality and each one is completely different. They can be quite intelligent, but some are dumb as bricks. Dogs are way more dependent but they are loyal and loving as hell. There's a fairly wide intelligence spectrum here, too. But keep in mind a dog needs to be walked everyday, and a bigger dog is out of the question if you live in an apartment. Training a dog is harder than training a cat, but a dog is a companion. A cat is more like an affectionate, furry roommate. Bunnies are a lot of work. Fish are boring. Birds have very expensive vet bills, I'm not sure how affectionate they are. The bigger birds that live for ever are really smart. Rats might be a good option. I'd have one but they are illegal where I live. Ferrets are cute and intelligent, but they are a lot of work, too.
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# ? Oct 28, 2014 16:51 |
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I'm looking after my friend's cat at the moment. It's been staying at my house for about a week and up to now has been pooping in its litter box without complaint. Yesterday the cat pooped in my bathtub so I cleaned it up, washed the tub with bleach and scooped the cat's litter of lumps. This morning I scrubbed the cat's litter box and put in all new litter. About ten minutes after I cleaned the litter box the cat went slightly crazy and pooped in the bathtub, my wardrobe and on the floor of the room where the litter tray is. What the gently caress is wrong with this poo poo-cat and how can I stop it from making GBS threads everywhere? Please help before my wife murders the poo poo-cat, tia.
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# ? Oct 29, 2014 05:22 |
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One of my cats is a revenge pooper. If she's angry, she'll poo poo in the tub. Could be the cat is mad at you for some reason, or could just be she's getting more and more stressed without her owner. Is the poop solid, without any blood or mucous? Is the box away from anything that might freak her out (a fan, the laundry machine etc)? You could try grabbing a Feliway diffuser from the pet store to try and calm her down, if everything else checks out.
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# ? Oct 29, 2014 20:19 |
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Edgar Allan Pwned posted:I debated making a "what type of pet I should get" thread because I felt that plenty of people want pets but don't know what is appropriate to their situation? But then I saw this. Rats are nice.
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# ? Oct 29, 2014 22:45 |
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I'm not sure if these questions belongs here or the New Dog Owner thread. My mother adopted a 6-year-old standard poodle from a rescue last week. We also have two cats, one of them being 13 years old and the other one being 6. The younger cat has adapted fairly well, to the point where she only tenses up and hisses if the dog is directly bothering her. The older one has taken to diving under the guest bed when the dog gets too active or too close to her general vicinity, even if he shows no interest in her. Is there a way to help the older cat adjust more easily? Also, the dog does get bored, particularly if my mother is asleep or at work during the night. If she's at work, the dog barks for a bit, then decides to entertain himself by either bugging the cats or trying to get attention from me. I'll fully admit I'm not a dog person. I don't get them. I'm more used to calm, relaxed cats that can keep themselves entertained for the most part. I don't mind giving the dog attention when he's behaving, but I don't want to be his sole entertainment source, and I certainly don't want to reward bad behavior. What are some toys I can get him where he can entertain himself? Last question. Said dog is a counter surfer. I'm thinking of addressing this with a baby gate for the kitchen. How tall should I go for a standard poodle? Any particular brand that's better than others?
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# ? Oct 30, 2014 01:19 |
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Echeveria posted:One of my cats is a revenge pooper. If she's angry, she'll poo poo in the tub. Could be the cat is mad at you for some reason, or could just be she's getting more and more stressed without her owner. You are giving cats way too much credit here, they don't know what revenge is, Stress though, yes. Impatiens posted:I'm not sure if these questions belongs here or the New Dog Owner thread. If you want to help your mom out or get involved yourself here's the training thread to get started: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3364451
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# ? Oct 30, 2014 02:13 |
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He does get walked 2-3x times a day. I don't think the walks last longer than 15-20 minutes, though. He does get shortchanged a walk on days my mother is working, since she can't take him out for his evening walk while she's getting ready, and he doesn't seem to be willing to let me walk him by myself. That's probably part of the problem right there. I think he gets bored during the mornings, too, since my mother and I are both asleep during the morning. Do well-trained dogs respect boundaries even without a human there to enforce them?
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# ? Oct 30, 2014 03:57 |
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Invalid Octopus posted:Rats are nice. Rats are amazing pets but please take the time to read up about them and make sure you're comitted to feeding them well, keeping their cage clean and playing with them. A loved rat is the best pet but a neglected rat is the saddest thing ever Update on my friend's poo poo cat: he hasn't pooped anywhere except his litter box since yesterday's incident but last night he kept bashing at our bedroom door trying to get in while we were sleeping so I had to lock him in the spare room where his bed / food / litter is. I feel bad for this cat because he's lovely but just super starved for attention but at the same time I need to sleep, dammit cat
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# ? Oct 30, 2014 04:58 |
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My ten-ish year old Malamute has developed a small bump on his head. It's right in the middle of the top of his head. We first noticed it about a month ago and thought it might be a bug bite or a doggy pimple but it seems to have grown in size, it's now about the size of a pea. It moves with his skin, it's solid and hard, and when we part his hair the skin is the same color as the surrounding area (white). It doesn't seem to cause him any discomfort when we touch it. No bumps like this anywhere else. How soon should we see the vet about this? Any idea what it might be?
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# ? Oct 30, 2014 16:36 |
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I took my dog to the vet yesterday, because she was throwing up and has a slew of other things that just seemed to appear from nowhere. Vet gave her a shot for nausea and a drop for her eyes, said not to do anything about the other symptoms, then sent me on my way. I'm not going to Google it because I know it will come back with the most soul-crushing thing possible. It's now 4am and I can't sleep despite having a 12 hour shift in 4 hours because everytime my head hits pillow I have to go check on her. I'm really worried, and she just seems so flat. Thankfully, my family have volunteered to come and look after her for me while I'm at work. Does anyone have any tips on coping with pet-related stress?
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# ? Oct 30, 2014 18:25 |
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Invalid Octopus posted:Rats are nice. Rats are GREAT, but very smart. You need to play with them a lot, and give them little puzzles to solve. And if you're only up to 'mild' levels of intelligence in a pet, that's a problem. They're freaking geniuses. Also. Like 4000% of female rats get cancer, and 3000% of male rats end up with degenerative hind ends. And a long lived rat is not very long - so if you want a pet that's not a lifelong commitment it's good, just be prepared for a dozen little heartbreaks. Yes, a dozen. Because they need friends, you can't have just one. And when #1 rat dies, #2 is lonely, so you get it #3, who eventually needs a #4. Then sometimes you pick up siblings. And suddenly you're converting Ferret nations and bird cages into rat mansions with multiple levels and hammocks and toys and all your friends think you're weird. Also, if you aren't allergic to rats now, you will definitely become allergic to rats before you are done. These are all facts based entirely in science and have nothing whatsoever to do with personal experience...
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# ? Oct 30, 2014 19:17 |
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Impatiens posted:He does get walked 2-3x times a day. I don't think the walks last longer than 15-20 minutes, though. He does get shortchanged a walk on days my mother is working, since she can't take him out for his evening walk while she's getting ready, and he doesn't seem to be willing to let me walk him by myself. That's probably part of the problem right there. I think he gets bored during the mornings, too, since my mother and I are both asleep during the morning. Good training is about behavior shaping, so yes. But you have to set your dog up for success with his exercise needs and being consistent. If your dog is especially food motivated that makes it much easier, but toys and stuff also work. Clicker training sessions will also him wear out mentally. You'll definitely need to work on walking with him. Make a post in the dog training thread on that, it's a great place to start.
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# ? Oct 30, 2014 22:44 |
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We live in Chicago and had our first snow flurry today () which has me wondering what kind of winter-wear to get for our dog. He's about 75 lbs, pit-lab mix (we think - photo below for your consideration), about 2.5 years old (we think). This is his first winter with us. His coat is definitely more pitty than labby - very short and thin. 1. Will he need a dog jacket or hoodie or something? I've always thought they were silly but if he's going to freeze without it I'm willing to try it. 2. We have very salty sidewalks in winter - I assume some kind of boot/shoe is in order? Any models/brands to look at or avoid?
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# ? Oct 31, 2014 16:01 |
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You'll want to get him acclimated to booties early - our dogs wore them in UNY because it was sub-zero often and it hurt them quickly. They didn't get used to it very quickly and chewed through/pulled off booties constantly. Either get him used to it or get a bulk supplier. OTOH, winter gear otherwise is dependent. Both of mine did well in that sub-zero cold for short walks to potty, but when we went on long walks (snow shouldn't keep them locked inside, once it got into the teens we took them to the park ) or were planning on them being in the elements more than a few minutes we put on their winter coats...kind of snowproof warm throw overs. If he's big enough, you might be able to get away with a hoodie, and that would be adorable.
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# ? Oct 31, 2014 16:05 |
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Blistering Sunburn posted:We live in Chicago and had our first snow flurry today () which has me wondering what kind of winter-wear to get for our dog. He's about 75 lbs, pit-lab mix (we think - photo below for your consideration), about 2.5 years old (we think). This is his first winter with us. His coat is definitely more pitty than labby - very short and thin. I also live in Chicago (yay snow )! We have Pawz for our cattledogs. They are like balloons that go over the dog's paws. They let them still feel the ground, so they aren't annoyed as much by them. I haven't used them in the winter yet, but we used them a lot in the summer with one of our dogs who kept tearing up her paws on the dog park's concrete.
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# ? Nov 1, 2014 14:28 |
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Eponine posted:I also live in Chicago (yay snow )! We have Pawz for our cattledogs. They are like balloons that go over the dog's paws. They let them still feel the ground, so they aren't annoyed as much by them. I haven't used them in the winter yet, but we used them a lot in the summer with one of our dogs who kept tearing up her paws on the dog park's concrete. Do Pawz stay on pretty well if the dog doesn't mess with them? One of my corgis will just fall over if he steps in slush and I can't be carrying him home over icy sidewalks when I'm super pregnant this winter. At least Boston winters are milder than Chicago! :U E: it's the blind one, so he sometimes blunders into the slush puddles. I'm sure he'd avoid them if he knew where they are.
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# ? Nov 2, 2014 03:12 |
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catamar posted:Do Pawz stay on pretty well if the dog doesn't mess with them? One of my corgis will just fall over if he steps in slush and I can't be carrying him home over icy sidewalks when I'm super pregnant this winter. At least Boston winters are milder than Chicago! :U Yeah, they have a tight cuff on them that keeps them on. I haven't had problems with them falling off unless Starling was trying to pull them off. We had the most success by putting them on and immediately directing her attention to going outside or to the dog park or to a treat, but that is for a 10 month old cattledog puppy, so most dogs should do a lot better leaving them alone.
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# ? Nov 2, 2014 14:05 |
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My greyhound Abby was prescribed methocarbamol and prednisone 1.5 weeks ago for a muscle strain in her neck. While it has definitely helped, I"ve noticed some pretty dramatic weight loss, to the point where her ribs are fully visible (usually you only want the first 2/3 or so visible from the side). From what I understand this is a side effect of prednisone? My vet is closed today, but I really don't want to give her anymore. The dosage was 10 mg 2x/day for the first week, and now 1x/day per the vet's instructions. actionjackson fucked around with this message at 16:09 on Nov 2, 2014 |
# ? Nov 2, 2014 16:03 |
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Prednisone generally causes weight gain due to increase in appetite. Long term use can cause muscle wasting, but a week isn't long term and this would be a little fast to be due to the pred. Don't stop a prednisone taper without consulting your vet first.
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# ? Nov 2, 2014 18:22 |
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Prednisone doesn't usually cause weight loss so much as muscle-wasting, and then they are also hungrier and eating more so they build up more fat. It's more of a redistribution than weight loss. Regardless, that's usually at high doses and long courses, which does not sound like the case here.
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# ? Nov 2, 2014 18:24 |
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HelloSailorSign posted:Prednisone generally causes weight gain due to increase in appetite. Long term use can cause muscle wasting, but a week isn't long term and this would be a little fast to be due to the pred. Okay, I will give the dose tonight and call her tomorrow. She's definitely lost weight though, and I think there's a bigger issue with this breed than others since they have such low body fat to begin with.
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# ? Nov 2, 2014 18:28 |
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actionjackson posted:Okay, I will give the dose tonight and call her tomorrow. She's definitely lost weight though, and I think there's a bigger issue with this breed than others since they have such low body fat to begin with. Not as far as prednisone is concerned.
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# ? Nov 2, 2014 19:22 |
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I've been cat-sitting for the last two weeks. Now that the cat is gone what's the best way to comprehensively get rid of all the cat hair that seems to have smeared itself across every surface of my house? Particularly fabrics like towels, blankets, etc as I've noticed that just running them through the washing machine doesn't seem to remove the hair.
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# ? Nov 2, 2014 20:51 |
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My dog (4 years, corgi) has over the past few months started being really reluctant on her morning walks. Nothing has happened to scare her, her environment hasn't changed, and she recently (last month) got a clean bill of health from a vet during her annual shots/checkup. Usually in the morning she would wait by the door to go out or come readily when called. Over the past few months she goes and lays under the desk in the office and I have to go get her and she will often roll over on her back on the way to the door and I have to urge her to get up. Once outside, she doesn't seem to want to go on a walk, she kind of hangs back and does her business and then immediately wants to go inside. In contrast, during her evening walks she's excited to go out, walks normally, runs and plays normally, and generally seems 'normal'. Any ideas on what could be going on and how to get her enthused about morning walks again? On a health front, she's eating normally, poops normally, drinks plenty of water, is energetic inside and plays and has had no behavior changes. She hasn't had any accidents inside. It's almost like she's nervous to go outside, but only in the mornings.
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# ? Nov 5, 2014 19:10 |
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^^ I'm curious to see if anybody can answer this, because since Vanya's gallbladder operation he's been exactly the same way. He's just as chirpy as ever on his evening walk, but in the morning he can't seem to get going. It doesn't seem to matter whether it's at 7am or 11am, straight after or hours after or before his breakfast, how much I try to get him excited, what the weather's like; he just doesn't do mornings anymore.
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# ? Nov 8, 2014 10:54 |
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7y old Basset. The vet emptied her butt glands in June but 3-4 days ago she started acting like they were bothering her again. After watching some Youtube vidjas I decided to do it myself. I thought I got most of the juice out (they felt about chickpea sized, and now they don't feel any size.) Did I not get it all the way out or what because she's still acting like they're a problem.
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# ? Nov 8, 2014 17:48 |
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thylacine posted:7y old Basset. What do you feed? Did the vet express any concerns about infection? Is the animal overweight?
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# ? Nov 8, 2014 19:22 |
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Suspect Bucket posted:What do you feed? Did the vet express any concerns about infection? Is the animal overweight? Beneful Health Weighty (prob get yelled at for that—it keeps her weight down and she likes it.) Didn't say anything about infection, just that they were full when he emptied them. When I did it last night the sauce was clear to light brown and smelled normal. I did just do it last night, perhaps some was stuck in the tube as I took her for a walk at the park a minute ago where she had a healthy dump and wasn't trying to lick her butt on the way home. I think she's around 55 lbs. She has an hourglass shape from above, her udders hang down past her chest but the rest of her abdomen curves up decently-I tried to get a picture but she thinks all I want to do is poke her butt if she's standing now, ha.
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# ? Nov 8, 2014 21:19 |
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Looking into adopting a senior dog with Lyme. Raised dogs before, but never dealt with Lyme disease. From what I can read, there's going to be a long treatment with antibiotics. What do those usually run, cost-wise? Any chance of other, more serious treatments? Just trying to make sure my finances are in order and I'm not grossly underestimating the medical costs.
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# ? Nov 14, 2014 19:35 |
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There's no generic dog questions thread is there? Anyways, just wondering how other people handle this. The area where I bought my house seems to have a lot of people with those small 'ankle biter' dogs and owners who can't seem to tug the dogs back when they lunge. My roommate takes his 60lb Lab for a walk and at least once a week a small dog will run up and try to bite his dog. This lab is already afraid of small dogs from a previous incident (at least thats what my roommate says) and this isn't helping. Lots of the small dog owners just go 'oh, I'm so sorry he/she never does this' and don't even try to yank the small dog away. Start carrying around mace and just spray the 'aggressive' dog?
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# ? Nov 14, 2014 22:50 |
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# ? Apr 29, 2024 16:20 |
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Danith posted:There's no generic dog questions thread is there? Anyways, just wondering how other people handle this. I suggest carrying around "a mouth" and using it to spray "words" at the dog owners. Actually, no, mace someone's min pin without saying a word to them first. Make sure you record the results and post it in the thread. That'd be way more amusing for the rest of us.
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# ? Nov 14, 2014 23:15 |